Shifted Schism
Shifted Schism is an Undertale AU that uses the role placements of Storyshift, but with a twist; the story is set in a grittier, darker Underground that's in the midst of a civil war between the Skeleton Kingdom and a rebel organization led by Toriel. It features the addition of several new areas, while many of the canon areas are altered; dozens of new characters, and a Game of Thrones-inspired story of intrigue and conflict that has almost zero parallels to the story of Undertale. The lore has also been greatly enriched, all the way back to the great war between humans and monsters. It is planned to be released as a sprite comic, and its creator is currently writing a script and spriting, as well as composing the official soundtrack using a mixture of original motifs, motifs from Undertale and other fanworks. Characters * Undertale Characters Papyrus Alphys Toriel Gerson Burgerpants Chara Azzy Undyne Muffet Susie Asgore Sans Metta A specter with a hidden agenda. Blooky A sad flower who has seen a lot. * Added Characters Bobbie 'The Courier' President Tahoma General Palatino Bink Grandpa Semi Locations * Undertale Locations The Ruins Unlike in Undertale, the Ruins in Shifted Schism still function as a bustling settlement after the rebuilding effort spearheaded by Papyrus and Alphys. Snowdin Woods A dense, dark forest surrounding the Ruins, which spreads for miles. Snowdin Village At the start of the story, Snowdin Village is a smoldering ruin. Once a hotbed of Toriel sympathizers, the Skeleton armed forces descended upon the town in force and laid waste to it. Waterfall Much the same as in canon, except that is home to the 'Old Core', an abandoned hydropower installation. Hotland Similar to canon in scope, but instead of MTT Resort, it is the location of the town of Hot Springs. It is separated from Waterfall by a new region known as the Stormlands (more below). C.O.R.E. Industrial District A complex of industrial plants and infrastructure companies, functioning as the economic capital of the Skeleton Kingdom. Aster Labs, Inc. is located here, as well as the C.O.R.E. which provides electricity to citizens of the Skeleton Kingdom. Bonestown Located at the site of canon's New Home, Bonestown is the capital of the Skeleton Kingdom and location of its government as well as the Royal Palace. * Added Locations Snowdin Tunnels While in canon these tunnels were merely a means to quickly move the protagonist around, the Snowdin Tunnels in Shifted Schism were dug by Toriel's spy network to quickly move around the Underground. They connect the ruins of Snowdin Village to the town of New Snowdin, but be warned: the tunnels have not seen much maintenance lately, and are prone to collapse. New Snowdin Not much of a town, New Snowdin is a palisade encampment surroundiong the Old Core on all sides, filled to the brim with refugees and Toriel sympathizers from all over the Underground. Old Core The Old Core is a former hydropower plant that fell into disrepair decades before, when the Skeleton Kingdom switched to the state-of-the-art C.O.R.E. Industrial Complex for its power supply. At the time of the story, Toriel and her followers have repurposed it as their headquarters. Stormlands A new area located between Waterfall and Hotland. A desolate area that functions as a demilitarized zone between the two warring factions. Everything east of the Stormlands is firmly controlled by the Skeleton Kingdom. Hot Springs A town in Hotland, home to Grandpa Semi. Camp Hotland The Skeleton Kingdom's primary military installation, located near the town of Hot Springs. Aster Labs, Inc. The pinnacle of skeleton society's scientific pursuits. Located right between the C.O.R.E. Industrial District and the actual C.O.R.E. Region. Currently led by Prof. Asgore. Miscellaneous * The protagonist is not Frisk, but another human named Bobbie whose SOUL is colored dark green. * Chara was never adopted by the Dreemurr family. * Asgore and Toriel separated several years before the start of the story, and are unlikely to ever reconcile. * Chara and Asriel are in their mid-teens, as opposed to the presumably lower age they have in Storyshift canon. * The disappearance of the erstwhile King W.D. Gaster has a much greater plot significance than Gaster did in canon. Story When monsters, under the leadership of King Asrogore (distant ancestor of Asgore), lost the war against humanity that resulted in the monsters’ imprisonment, a cabal of skeletons rose up against the Boss Monsters, murdered the king and banished his children, cementing skeleton rule over the Underground. Fast-forward to the modern day, and the Skeleton Kingdom reigns supreme in the east, controlling the more urbanized regions of the Underground; vast swathes of the western Underground are essentially a lawless zone. The Kingdom is a technocratic dystopia, a police state of sorts, with the Skeleton King being a mere figurehead for the all-pervasive Skeleton Council, the true power behind the monarchy. Skeleton society maintains a ruthless pursuit of science. The Council routinely has their paramilitary round up political prisoners to be used as test subjects in a science complex known as ‘Aster Labs’, currently led by the Royal Scientist, Professor Asgore Dreemurr. Aster Labs is home to the top scientists in the Underground, whose inventions go far beyond anything accomplished by canon Undertale’s royal scientists. In recent times the Skeleton Kingdom has been engaged in a civil war against the so-called “Royal Army”, led by Toriel. Her followers call her ‘Queen of All Monsters’; the skeletons call her a traitor and warlord. Toriel used to be the Captain of the Skeleton King’s royal guard. In an effort by the Council to curb the influence of Boss Monsters at court, however, the position of Captain was turned into a ceremonial function. In response, Toriel defected, and the Guard, which remained fiercely loyal to her, was swiftly reformed into a rebel armed force. Before fleeing the capital of Bonestown, Toriel managed to steal three of the kingdom’s human SOULs, a move intended to shift the power balance in her favor. Her guardsmen declared her to be the new monarch, and under her leadership the group began conducting military raids on the Kingdom’s outposts with precision. However, after a couple of years, the Skeleton Army descended in force on Snowdin Village, a hotbed of pro-Toriel sentiment. The village was razed to the ground, with parts of the forest still burning to this day; Toriel and her surviving followers, as well as many refugees from what they began calling the ‘Snowdin Massacre’, escaped through the old Snowdin tunnel system towards the Old Core, located in Waterfall. Toriel and her Royal Army had the Old Core repaired and turned it into their new headquarters, and refugees from all over the western Underground flocked to her banners and built a massive encampment-town around the Old Core. This town was dubbed New Snowdin. After forming an alliance with the spiders of Hotland, Toriel’s army turned from an irregular military force into a shadowy underground resistance, mainly concerned with keeping tabs on the skeletons’ progress on SOUL and DT magic, stealing their secret technologies, and countering the Skeleton Kingdom’s inhuman treatment of dissidents by sending aid and raiding prisoner transports. Cue then a human child trekking through the Underground, as they’re sought after by both sides of the war: Toriel wants to utilize the raw power of a human by inducting them into the ranks of her army, while the Skeleton Council wants to take their SOUL. Meanwhile, they’re manipulated by a spectre calling himself Metta, who may have ulterior motives… Welcome to Shifted Schism. Category:AUs Category:Concept Change Category:Serious